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Monday, 28 March 2016

We had two baskets of Hazelnuts and Walnuts that had not been used since Christmas. The nuts had been sitting, lonely on the side and I reasoned that we ought to be able to make some super tasty muesli/energy/trail/snack bars using some of them.

My daughter did a little research to make up a simple recipe that used up ingredients that we already had in our cupboards. I told her that she should improvise and replace one thing with another if necessary. Flour, rolled oats, butter and syrup form the base of Flapjack, and whatever else you add makes it more interesting, tasty and nutritious.

The following is what we ended up with and it worked fantastically using our nuts and some other simple things that we had available.

Ingredients

Self Raising Flour - 100g

Rolled Oats - 300g

Hazelnuts and Walnuts - 250g

Flaked Coconut - 50g

Sesame Seeds - 50g

Pumpkin Seeds - 100g

Raisins - 125g

Soft Brown Sugar - 200g

Butter - 200g

Golden Syrup - 125ml

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Melt the butter and syrup in a saucepan then allow to cool for 5 mins before mixing thoroughly into the bowl with a spoon.

Using a baking tray about 2cm deep, line with greaseproof paper and then press the mixture into the tin.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees Centigrade for 25 minutes.

Allow the baked mixture to cool in the tin, it will be soft at first but will firm up as it gets colder.

Cut the delicious flapjack into squares and eat.

It will probably keep for a week or so in an airtight tin but it will never last that longin our house!

Tuesday, 8 March 2016

A friend of mine recently enquired as to how I had secretly become an expert on fruit trees. He was not the first person to ask
me this question, but the truth is, it does not take much time to learn the
basics of tree identification. We already supply free, downloadable seasonal id pdfs on our blog and these sheets
are also in the Urbane Forager book.

Anyone can learn to recognise a few tree species; you have to spend a while acquiring your skill but think of the benefits. It will be fun, satisfying and you could save a lot of money. You will spend more time outdoors and do more exercise, which is good for both your physical and mental health. Honing a new ability can be like obtaining a super power (only you don’t need to be bitten by a radioactive spider).

The key to the Urbane
Forager method hinges upon a few simple specific ideas.

Focus: We only bother to identify fruit and nut trees, those that will supply us with produce later in the year. This way, children (and adults)
can be safely engaged and we do not have to worry about poisonous plants. You
can see the main types of trees we pay attention to by looking at the id sheets
page. Through time we have learned to spot other trees too, like Mulberries and
Medlars.

Plum Blossom

Seeing: You have to actually see,
not just look. It’s not difficult, but you do have to make a conscious decision
to notice and log the things that other people choose to overlook. Observation
is the fundamental weapon in any forager’s arsenal. The trees are ubiquitous,
you just haven’t noticed them before.

Plums

Recording: Part of noticing things is remembering the locations, so
write it down. We always use the Falling Fruit free access map, but a
hand-drawn paper map is just as good. This way we can easily remember to go
back and check the places that we might otherwise have forgotten.

Frequency: You need to be constantly moving, exploring, covering
ground, walking or cycling around your area. We do spot trees when we go out on
specific walks, but the majority I notice on my way to and from work or during
my lunch time trips.

Plum Blossom

I am a compulsive walker and get out of the office in all
but the very worst conditions. I see the same things frequently and over time
this helps me to tune into seasonal changes. You will not notice anything sat
on the sofa watching TV.

Plums

Seasons: You need to observe the trees throughout the year. Spring
is always a good place to start and it's coming soon. The different tree species come into boom
in sequence, which is very handy. However, it’s no use noticing tree blossom during the Spring if you don’t know when it will produce delicious ripe fruit.
Watching various species as they flower and fruit will reinforce your knowledge.
Harvesting the bounty yourself on a sunny Summer’s day will really hammer that
message home.

Of course, once you have made use
of your new super power, you may well
need to cultivate a few more skills. Depending on how much you pick, you might need to find an expert to help you store, bake, preserve, pickle, juice, freeze, or ferment your harvest. Alternatively, you couldlearn how to do this for yourself and that will be a whole lot more fun.